


We'll call it a date.

by Dark_Ruby_Regalia



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: 20/22 or thereabouts, Date Night at Lovely Noodle, Iggy with his hair down, M/M, Noctis in hairclips, Sneaking Out, Watch me make stuff up about Insomnia!, lots of hand holding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-10-08 17:09:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17390321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_Ruby_Regalia/pseuds/Dark_Ruby_Regalia
Summary: After being buried in paperwork all day, Noctis - always the instigator - decides it's time they sneak out for an impromptu, secret date. Ignis - always an eager accomplice - lets him choose where to ❤





	We'll call it a date.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HollyJolly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HollyJolly/gifts).



There was always a stack of papers on the back corner of the desk. Always folders and files and books open. A smattering of pens and a pad of paper; a clear spot in the middle just big enough to set up a laptop in. 

Since both of them needed to read so much - to keep up to date with the politics of position and schedules of duty - Noct had made space for Ignis opposite him at the desk, dragging it out from the wall, so they could at least trawl text and scrawl notes in margins with the silent company of each other. They’d bring each other a glass of water, or brush an affectionate touch across hunched shoulders in passing. It was good like this; just the two of them. 

Ignis sunk in his chair and leaned his head back with closed eyes. Beneath the desk Noct felt his legs stretch out, easily reaching between Noct’s feet. 

“I’m looking but not seeing,” Ignis admitted; a rare thing, for a paper to outlast his concentration, though this was the fifth paper of the afternoon. “I’ve read the same blasted paragraph five times and can’t recall a word.”

Noct bought his feet together to clamp Ignis’ legs between them, and Ignis levelled a _look_ at him over the frame of his glasses.

“Footsies will _not_ help my focus,” Ignis said, though without any intent to dissuade. He stretched a hand across the desktop, and Noct met it halfway with his. They twined fingers over the offensively droll document, Noct smoothing the pad of his thumb around the curve of Ignis’ nails, clearly thinking something. Ignis waited for him patiently, knowing Noct would either speak or second-guess himself, and any pressure of expectation steered him toward the latter. He was biting at his lip, looking at their weave of fingers, the dark strands of his hair falling across his face sleek and glossy in low, late afternoon sunlight through the window. Ignis leaned forward across the desk to brush Noct’s bangs from his face, knowing it’s his privilege alone to do so; Noct hid from the world in many small ways, and his curtain of hair was one. When he looked up to meet Ignis’ gaze, his eyes were clear and uncovered; his brow relaxed and pale. The perfect place to press a kiss, if Ignis wasn’t hoping to hear what Noct was musing on. He held back. Noct smiled at him.

“We’ve been trapped indoors all day,” he started. Ignis gave a nod to agree and to encourage. “Aaaand I’m hungry,” he continued. Ignis could probably guess where this was going. “It’s a weeknight; there are entire parts of the outer city that empty out early when the workers finish…”

“Noct,” Ignis cautioned, because it was his job to do so. But his warning was hollow, and they both knew it. Due indulgence to the formality of pretending. He crossed the line right after. “We best wait another hour to let the traffic die down. Did you have anywhere in mind?”

“Maybe,” Noct said. “Well, not really. But I really feel like noodles and looked up places and there’s one open late on Tuesday nights that’s out a ways.” He fumbled with his phone using his free hand, then held it out to show Ignis… who looked at Noct with slightly narrowed eyes, clearly suspicious.

“Is this a joke, Noct?” he asked, scanning the screen for more information.

“No! Why?”

“Did you choose it just because it’s called _Lovely Noodle_?”

Noct laughed. “Of course not!” Ignis looked from the screen back to him. “OK maybe. Probably definitely. Yes, I did. Oh my gods, Ignis, how do you _do_ that.”

“Do what?”

“ _That._ See right through me.”

Ignis didn’t answer; just smiled. “It’s way out by the North wall. Are you sure?”

Noct disentangled himself and stood up from the desk, making his way around to Ignis’ side where he slumped full into Ignis’ lap, pulling Ignis’ head into his chest in a smothering hug. “I can drive,” he said, stroking hands through Ignis’ hair, slipping Ignis’ glasses off and placing them on the desk. “We’ll call it a date.” He tilted Ignis’ face up to meet his, kissing him warm and soft-lipped. “We can wear disguises,” he mumbled through the contact. “Nobody will ever know.” Ignis had a million reservations, but none that would stop him going along with this in full. Besides, they might’ve done this before, once or twice...

~

An hour later they stood in front of the mirrors on Noct’s robe appraising their attempt to disguise. Their public front work in their favour: they were only ever seen in an official capacity when wearing fine-tailored Lucian black. As soon as they put some colour on, they were already most of the way disappeared as just another number in a crowd. Ignis stood tall and narrow in jeans, a casual but well-cut jacket over an untucked button-up shirt. It wasn’t drastic; just a dressing-down and a change of fabrics. He’d let his hair fall loose across his forehead, brushed off to the side in a gorgeous mess. He’d left his glasses off.

Noct, however, had put glasses on: a pair of black frames he’d bought for the specific purpose of concealing himself. He was wearing jeans too - not as unusual for him - with a plain, dark gray jumper with sleeves much too long. They’d have covered his hands if he hadn’t roll up the cuffs. It was soft and shapeless, but he needed something comforting, since he’d pinned his hair back. Wisps of it still fell about his cheeks, but otherwise his face was clear - the quizzical quirk of appraisal now wonderfully visible in the rise of his eyebrows and the crease of his brow. Ignis knew the pinned bangs were for his benefit; he reached out once again to tangle his fingers in Noct’s. Seeing their reflection like this made his heart ache. For this small moment, they were just two people holding hands, ready to walk out the door for dinner like anybody else could do so easily. If only he could forget that for them it was a secret twofold: nobody could know the Prince was taking to the streets, and nobody could know they were lovers. 

“Your disguise has failed; I’d know your hips anywhere,” Noct said, immediately stealing the weight from Ignis’ thoughts. 

“Would you now?”

“Even in the dark,” and Noct grinned beautiful and wide, without inhibition. 

“I know for a fact mine are the only hips you’ve met in the dark,” Ignis teased. He paused a moment before adding “You look good, Noct.” 

Noct lit up in an instant. He turned from their reflection to face Ignis properly. “I love you too, Iggy.”

So. Ignis was not the only one who could see right through the other.

~

Despite designating himself the driver, they had to take Ignis’ car. The _Star of Lucis_ was hardly discreet. Ignis settled down in his own passenger seat - quite the novelty - giving directions while Noct drove. Once they’d left the inner city, taking a circuitous route well memorised from many nights evading the watch, the traffic thinned as the business district shut down, giving way in turn to high density clusters of apartment blocks and suburban industry. The shift in privilege was palpable; with money came space. Here, even the streets were frighteningly narrow, though thankfully for the most part vacant. Eventually the maze of streets gave way to a haphazard sprawl toward the walls. It was an area made strange by conflict: attractive for its comparative breathing room; dangerous for its proximity to the wall; inconvenient for its distance from the city centre. It was nice though, especially by contrast to the claustrophobia that strangled Insomnia in a ring around its centre. 

Noct turned a final corner and the pink neon sign of Lovely Noodle was finally there before them. The sun had long set prematurely over the lip of the wall, and dusk was giving way all to easily to the dark. He parked in the blanched circle of a streetlight and shut the engine off. 

“Lovely Noodle awaits,” Ignis said, taking yet another opportunity to express amusement at the name.

“I think it’s _cute,_ ” was Noct’s honest response. His glasses reflected the neon; Lovely Noodle Eyes. Ignis tactfully chose not to mention it.

It was the kind of eatery that mostly catered to take-out, though there were a few small booths down the side. No ambiance; no experience on offer beside that of the food. It was a refreshing change to find a place that wasn’t puffed up with its own airs; an honest family business. _There’s a park down the road,_ Noct had said. _Maybe we do get take-out so we can explore a bit?_. Since Noct was technically in charge of this date - and since all the rules were already broken - Ignis, of course, agreed. 

So they found themselves dawdling down an empty street toward the North-West point of the city walls. The huge structure rose impossibly high from two sides as it came to its corner, imposing and solid and ominous. Above its ridge the night sky rose indigo, an occasional liquid swirl in the crystal barrier making it feel as though they were underwater here, where mortar met magic. Noct felt a deep uneasiness shake at his spine. He couldn’t go anywhere to escape the reminders of his fate. He shuddered, and soon had Ignis’ hand at his shoulder, pulling him in close, as if he knew the reason for the silence and the falter in stride. He probably did. 

The entire corner was a park, intended to soften the reality of being penned in. A bit of nature trapped in this cage with them, obscuring the footings of the wall itself. It was a simulation of an escape-space, and by comparison to the city, it certainly served that purpose. After all, Noct realised, he’d come to it now. The furthest point he could run away to. The trees were large and green, _eerily_ still, sheltered as they were from all breezes. The grass underfoot was green and well tended, recently mowed, so it smelled fresh and good. There were occasional lamp posts dotting the path, and a bench underneath one not much further on. They made their way to it to sit and open their dinner in their laps, little cardboard parcels filled with fresh-made food. Opposite them, on the other side of the path, was a pond that rippled with the mouths of fish slowly circling below; it was so quiet here, they could hear the splash of fluke and tail as the fish turned and broke the surface. Somewhere to their left they could hear the trickle of a water fountain. Behind them, the city was reduced to a distant but constant roar. Background noise, nothing more. This was _nice_ , despite its strangeness; they felt, for a rare moment, completely alone, and though very clearly not _free_ , at least free for one evening to be themselves.

When the food was gone, they fell into each other on the bench. Ignis rest his head on Noct’s shoulder; Noct kissed him at his temple. They again tangled hands in their collective lap, enjoying the simple pleasure of being able to do this outside the secrecy of their own rooms. 

“One day I’m going to tell everyone,” Noct whispered, a promise heavy in the words. It wasn’t as much about being _known_ as it was about how _of consequence_ this was, that it was worth the scandal and upheaval.

“If you wish,” was Ignis’ minimal answer. He had his eyes closed, relishing the proximity, the ease of the moment.

“You’re worth so much more than being some secret because I’m scared of attention.” Noct smoothed hair behind Ignis’ ear, stroking his cheekbones. Ignis opened his eyes. Noct was not usually this straightforward.

“Nobody else matters. Only us, Noct.” He sat up so they could swap roles, pulling Noct against him, wrapping him in arms. “At least in the secret we have something nobody else has; rare, given who we are. We barely belong to ourselves as it is.”

Noct buried himself into the crook of Ignis’ neck. When he spoke, his lips moved against skin. “But we belong to each other.”

“We do.”

~

They stayed out much too late before making their way back to the car. To complete the circle, Noct drove them home, parking a few blocks from his apartment so they could sneak back in on foot unnoticed. Ignis slipped the glasses from Noct’s face; Noct put Ignis’ back on his. It was three in the morning; they would not get enough sleep no matter what they did from here, so they made no move to go to bed. 

“Let’s wait for dawn,” Noct said, and he pulled the blinds up to bare the windows in full.

“We will regret it tomorrow,” Ignis cautioned, dutiful. But as per usual, he defied his words with action, putting water on to boil for hot chocolate and rummaged through the cupboard for any kind of snack. 

“Technically it’s already tomorrow!” Noct was far too animated for this hour. “Maybe we just started our day really early.”

“Noct, you are a terror.” Ignis spooned chocolate into their mugs, looking not the least bit perturbed. 

Noct looked at him from the vacant frame of the window, his hair still pinned back and his face aglow with fondness, his smile sly with _knowing_. “I love you too, Iggy.”

**Author's Note:**

> Confession: I allllmost named this fic _Lovely Noodle Eyes_ but restrained myself at the last minute. Took an effort, I tell you what XD


End file.
